Books to read to understand the Igbo

BY
OKECHUKWU ONONAEKE
it is good to read Western philosophers and thinkers: Adam Smith, John Locke, Malthus, Gramsci, Keynes, Karl Marx etc. Reading them and thousands of other Western philosophers and writers will make you understand European and similar societies better. They also provide perspectives and solutions to problems confronting such societies. But they are useless  in understanding the Igbo and Ala Igbo ( Igbo society).
A sample: Western philosophies and writings are suffused with the following terms : King, Queen, Prince, Princess, King makers, palace, palace courtiers, class struggle, ruling class and the ruled, the masses, privileged class and underprivileged, peasants and the land owning class, the underclass, the working class, the opposition, power wielders etc. These terms and phrases describe European and similar societies but definitely do not apply to the Igbo society. Why are Wpestern philosophies and writings inappropriate to understanding the Igbo and the Igbo society? Western philosophies and writings have always been presented as universal. However, we know that philosophies,social, political and economic writings are not universal. They are not culture neutral. Philosophical and social writings flow from culture. Culture is the DNA of philosophy and sociopolitical postulations. The Igbo culture is fundamentally different from the culture that produced Western philosophies and social postulations. So what books should you read to understand Igbo philosophy and project Igbo social and political behaviors? Here they are: 
1. The Hebrew Bible- this is the Igbo culture yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever.
2. Things fall apart by the Igbo sage, Chinua Achebe
3. Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe
4. The only son by John Munonye
5. Igbo- the largest Israeli diaspora by Remy Ilona.
6. Hebrew Igbo Republics by Remy Ilona.
 There are tons of other books that correctly approximate the Igbo and the Igbo society but you can start with the above listed.

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